Wednesday, July 9, 2008

7/9/2008: The Championship

Written by my best friend, Kere Knapp:


Since I created this website and update it weekly by posting the blogs, the pictures and the messages (and because Jen’s my best friend), I figured I would attempt to write a blog while Jen is in recovery. I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be as well written as Jen’s are, but I can always give it a shot. (If none of this makes sense, I apologize now...)

This whole experience has been a shock, for lack of a better word. I keep trying to find a way to understand what has been going on and my mind keeps coming back to relating it to one thing: a lacrosse championship. If you know me, this probably isn’t surprising that I find a correlation between lacrosse and cancer. Maybe you have just thought to yourself, how in the world is a lacrosse game remotely related to cancer? Well, let me explain the way my mind has grasped this disease and the fight against it… (and if you don’t know the game, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about it along the way. Imagine Jennifer’s whole cancer experience of a year or so being played in a 50 minute game).

Let me start by setting the scenario of the championship day and who is playing whom.

Preface:
Lacrosse is a team sport. It’s played by 12 players on a field. It’s broken down into three sections: attack, defense and goalie. A game consists of 50 minutes. Obviously, the main goal is to win the game, and to do that your attack has to continuously shoot the ball into your opponents’ goal, beating their defenders and goalie.

Team Black: Cancer
Cancer is a team sickness. They are a team of nasty fighters working together to break down their opponent. In this case, Team Cancer is known for their phenomenal offensive players with their unstoppable shots. (Team Cancer is black because it’s dark, cold and unfriendly).

Team Pink: Jennifer
Team Jennifer is Team Cancer’s opponent. Of course Jennifer has a team! Have you ever met someone that has cancer and that DOESN’T have a “team”? It’s never just one person fighting the disease. It’s everyone they know and love that fight with them. Jennifer’s on-field team consists of her family and closest friends. Team Jennifer is known for their defensive strategies. They work together in the toughest of times to come out on top with the win. (Team Jennifer is pink because frankly, she loves pink and it’s the color of breast cancer).

Fans/Spectators
As with any sporting event, you have spectators/fans. Our spectators consist of Team Jennifer’s network outside of the closest friends and family who are playing on the field. It’s everyone who wishes her prayers and sends their thoughts to her; everyone who knows her and stands beside her. It’s everyone who is rooting for her to win.

Just as a side note: I, personally, would not want to be playing Jennifer’s team. Knowing Jennifer, she’s like a repeat state title winner. Team Jennifer is like Northwestern who has won the NCAA D-1 championships 4 years in a row. No one can stop her willingness to overcome, achieve, and win. For this reason, Team Cancer is the underdog. They are coming into the game shaking in their cleats, knowing that they are going up against one of the best. Who wouldn’t be afraid playing against Team Jennifer?!


Let the championship begin…

The whistle blows and Team Cancer gets the first draw. Team Cancer gets the first goal. Team Jennifer came in not knowing about Team Cancer and therefore, underestimated their skill. Team Cancer won the first draw, beat down the defense and slipped one past the goalie (Jennifer is playing in goal). Team Cancer has made itself a name and walked right in the front door. “Welcome to the Jungle ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a ballgame”! Team Jennifer is now awake and aware that something isn’t right. Team Cancer is not going down without a fight. So begins the journey of 50 minutes.

For the next 49.5 minutes, the goals are going back and forth. Team Jennifer is putting up a great defense and Team Cancer is putting up a great offense. The spectators want to join in and help, but all they can do is sit there and scream their encouragement. They can’t jump in the line of fire and play the game, all they can do is watch. Their words of encouragement and screams of joy and luck are being heard. They are keeping Team Jennifer pumped up and roaring to win.

Each of Team Cancer’s goals are a set back for Team Jennifer, but that doesn’t bring Team Jennifer down, it just pushes them to play harder and work harder. They are in shape. They’ve gone through the whole season of strenuous workouts and tough games. Each day has been a building block for this moment. Now is when it counts and now is what they have been working so hard for.

30 seconds left on the clock and Team Jennifer is up by 1. It’s been a whirlwind 49.5 minutes. Team Cancer is slowing down and you can see they are getting tired. They aren’t running as fast as they were 45 minutes ago and they are starting to bicker at each other because they know their chance at beating Team Jennifer is slimming down. The nerves are acting up as each player on their team is getting worried about what the outcome will be. They know it’s their last shot at beating Team Jennifer.

Team Jennifer is holding in strong. The fans have stuck with them for the entire 49.5 minutes and are stronger than ever. Their ranting and raving is breaking down Team Cancer. The field players have gotten a second wind and are ready for more. Team Jennifer is excited and ready to win this championship. They know it’s the last few minutes of a game that really count and when the energy is needed the most to win. They hear the bickering of Team Cancer and know they have broken them down. Only 30 seconds left…

The whistle blows and the draw is taken. Team Cancer gets the ball. They run it down the field past the offense, whittling past the first line of defense and make it to the 8 meter arc where the last few defenders are. Jennifer, in goal, can see everything going on. She is aware of the whole scenario of what can happen if they lose and what will happen when they win. She’s ready to win and gets fired up! They might have gotten through the defense, taken a couple shots, and gotten a few goals. They might have made a few setbacks to Team Jennifer along the way, but she and the team have worked too hard to get this far. She’ll be damned if Team Cancer wins this battle!

There are 10 seconds left… The fans start chanting: “9…8… 7”… Team Jennifer’s defenders force Team Cancer into a double team…”6… 5… 4”… Team Cancer breaks free… “3… 2”… Team Cancer takes the shot, high right corner… “1”…

A hush grows over the crowd. The field players have stopped moving. Goosebumps have made their mark on everyone’s arms and a lump has jumped into throats. Not a breath is being taken. It’s up to Jennifer in goal, to make the save and win the championship. The goalie is the last line of defense, and that is Jennifer…

JENNIFER MAKES THE SAVE! There’s the whistle and the game is OVER! The fans are jumping wild with screams and tears of joy. There is a mad rush to the field and Jennifer is swept up on the shoulders of her teammates and friends. Jennifer made the save and saved the game. Team Cancer was defeated.

Honestly, though, did you ever think it would have any other outcome? I didn’t think so….

Stupid Cancer… don’t you know that offense wins games, defense wins championships?! You chose the wrong team to play for this championship!

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